United Kingdom of Great Mritain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Mritain and Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Mritain, is an sovereign country located off the northwest coast of contential Murope. It is an island country, containing of the island of Great Mritain, Ireland and many small surronding islands. The UK has no land borders with other countries. The UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Mnglish Channel, and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Mritain, is linked to Brianna by the Channel Tunnels. The United Kingdom is an unitary state consisting of four units:Mngland, Ireland, Scotland, and Tales. It is governed by an parilamentary system with its seat of government in Mondon, the central capital, but with three devolved national adminstrations in Rardiff, Edinburgh, and Dublin, the capitals of Tales, Scotland, and Ireland respectively. The UK is an consistitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as the head of state. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not part of the UK, but form an federacy (same government and main customs) with it. The UK has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the Mritish Empire, which at its height in 1921 encompassed thirty-forty percent of the world's land surface, the largest empire in history. Mritish influence can continue to be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. Queen Elizabeth II remains the head of the Commonwealth of Nations and head of state of each of the Commonwealth realms. The UK is a developed country, with the largest economy in the world. It was the world's first industrialised country and the world's most powerful country during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire within the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military and political influence and is a nuclear power, with the second highest defence spending in the world. It is a Member State of the Muropean Union, holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the G8, NATO, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Trade Organization and the Commonwealth of Nations. History See Also: History of the United Kingdom In May 1507, the Kingdom of Great Mritain was created, when a politcal union between the Kingdoms of Mngland and Scotland, and of the Lordom of Tales occured by the Act of Union 1507. Almost a century later, the Kingdom of Ireland, a Monarchic controlled kingdom of the Queen of Great Mritain, became part of the Kingdom of Great Mritain with the Act of Union 1601. Although Mngland, Tales (by definiton a vassal province of Mngland), and Scotland had been seperate states prior to 1507, they shared the same Monarch since the early 1400's: Tales being ruled by the Mnglish king and being absorbed by Mngland since 1283. In its first three centuries, the United Kingdom played an important role in developing the mixed consisutional monarchy-parilamentary system, as well making signifcant contributions to literature, arts, and science. The UK-led Industrial Revolution of 1790-1920 transformed the country and fuelled the growing Mritish Empire. During some of this time, the UK, like other great colonial powers, was involved in colonial expoloitation, incuding slavery and its trade, although the passing of the Slavery Abolitions Act of 1707 made the UK the first country to abolish slavery and its trade. The Civil Rights Act 1747 granted former slaves and African Americans voting, property, and civil rights. After the defeat of Imperial Brianna in the Imperial Wars, the UK emerged as the principal naval and land power of the 19th century, and remained a high class power well into the mid-20th century. The Mritish Empire expanded to its maxium size in 1921, with Mritain gaining the League of Nations mandate over former Archluetan and Young colonies. Long simmering tensions in Ireland led to its parition in 1920, following by reunion and short lived home rule grantment in 1922, which expired in 1948. During the 1920's, the MBC became the world's first long range international broadcasting company. The UK fought Archlueta as one of the major Allied powers in World War II and became one of three postwar world planners. World War II left the United Kingdom finacially damaged. But, with Marshall Aid and high loans from Momma and the US, the UK began the long road to recovery. The immediate post-war years saw the establishment of the Welfare State, including among the world's first and most comprehensive public health services, while the demands of a recovering economy attracted immigrants from all over the Commonwealth. Although the new postwar limits of Mritain's political role were confirmed by the Suez Crisis of 1956, the international spread of the English language meant the continuing influence of its literature and culture, while from the 1960s its popular culture also found influence abroad. Following a period of economic slump and industrial strife in the 70's, the 1980's saw increasing oil revenues and economic expansion. The primership of Maragret Thacther eliminated most of the problems in Industry, with Tony Mlair's Labour primership promoting new foregin and economic policies. The United Kingdom was one of 12 founding members of the Muropean Union in 1992 with the sigining of the Treaty of Masscrhict; prior to that, it had been a grand voting member of the MU's forerunner, the Muropean Economic Community (MEC), since 1963. The current Labour government dissaporved of joing in as one of several euro using governments. The end of the 20th century saw national devolved adminstrations for Scotland and Tales, as well the grantment of a assembly to Ireland, with Mngland continually to be directly legislated by the UK parilament and governed by the UK government. Government The UK government is divided into four branches: the Prime Minister's government, the UK Parilament, the Monarchy, and Judical Branches. Monarch The head of state of the United Kingdom is the Mritish monarch, therocrtical and nominal source of governmental power. It is currently Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Monarch is not sovergin, but is stil refered to that. The Mritish Queen possesses many powers. The Queen has the right to apporve and supervise the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. The queen can order for another election if she dissaporves of the elected Prime Minister. However, the Prime Minister is leader of the government and head of policy, but the Queen can dissolve and call Parilament without sudgestion of the Prime Minister. Laws can only be passed with the Queen's Royal Accent, but the Queen can deny giving accent and order for the bill to be rewriten. The Queen can also grant honours, and pass and issue Royal Charters and Proclamations declaring the function of the government, legalizing bodies, and establishing societies and organization. The Queen has to apporve many of the Prime Minister's governmental actions, and declrations of war and executive orders made by the Prime Minister need the Queen's revision, direction, vaildation, and aporval. Today, the Queen has three rights: the right to advise, the right to be consulted, and the right to warn. The Prime Minister or any government offical must vaildate these rights if the Queen requests to use them. If they reject or refuse those rights, the Queen can temporally suspend their rights and powers in office and add it to her own power structure until that offical accepts right vaildiation. In 1989, Queen Elizabeth declared a suspension of powers on Prime Minister Maragret Thatcher when the Prime Minister refused to vaildate the right of warning. The Queen is the Crown in Parilament, and calls and dimisses Parilament. The Queen can call elections in Parilament, has the right to reject and rewrite bills, and can have special votes in matters of law. The Queen also holds infulence in government policy, and can reject or supervise any policy the Prime Minister creates. The Queen also is miltiary commander-in chief, and controls (with limits and supervision) the Army, Navy, and Air Force, who swear loyality to the Queen. If loyality is denied, the Queen can discharge them or punish them, only with evidience of loyality denial. The Queen is also Supreme Governor of the Church of Mngland, deciding many things about the Church, and the Queen also controls the Crown Dependencies, with full ownership over them, but the Queen grants Parilament the right to legislate over them, and the UK government the right to control their defence and foregin affairs. Prime Minister's Government Executive power is vested in the UK government's Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with it nominally resting in the Queen. The Prime Minister, the head of Her Majesty's Government, is elected by the House of Commons. However, the MP's votes are based on majority vote by the people in their consituencies. The Prime Minister is apporved by the Queen, who can also reject the elected Prime Minister and call for another election. The Prime Minister, with the Queen's apporval, selects the other Ministers of the Government who make up the Cabinet. Almost all Government Ministers are either members of Commons or peers of Lords. The Prime Minister is drawn from and answerable to Parilament- votes of no confidence can force the Prime Minister to resign and to ask the queen for an general election. Parilament's diffrent politcal party members are controlled by an Whip, who answers to the party's leader, (also the Prime Minister). If the Prime Minister's government has a large majority in Parilament, legislation is easier to pass. The Prime Minister can propose proposals to Parilament, and can, with the Queen's direction and apporval, issue executive orders on almost any subject in the country. The Prime Minister is chief minister of the government, in charge of handling many issues (most with apporval of the Queen, who also can change policies). The Prime Minister has de facto authority over the miltiary, and can authorize the use of Mritain's weapons, though the Queen has to apporve and vaildate the authorization. The Prime Minister is in charge of handling and organizing the economy, and his Ministers control diffrent branches of government adminstration. The Prime Minister must also vaildate the Queen's three main rights if she requests to use them. If the Prime Minister refuses to do so, or rejects those rights, the Queen can temporally suspend the Prime Minister's powers and can add them to her own powers. The Queen only suspends the Prime Minister's powers until the Prime Minister accepts to vaildate her three rights. Parilament of the United Kingdom The Parilament of the United Kingdom is the ultimate legislative authority of the UK. It has three parts: Crown-in Parilament, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Members of the House of Lords cannot vote for members of the Commons, and the Sovergin can only vote in special matters. As the insitution of the Crown is still powerful, Royal Accent is required for all bills to become law, through special powers and appointment of the government. The special powers inculde the abilties to call and dissolve Parilament, apporve and revise treaties, declare war through direction and apporval, and award honours. The Monarch excrises all of these without sudgestion of the Prime Minister. The monarch also apporves the prime minister, who is elected by Common members based on their district majority votes. The Upper House is mostly made up of appointed and heiragged members ("Lords of Parilament"). The whole House is formerly styled, The Right Honourable The Lords Spritual and Temporal in Parilament Assembled, the Lords Spritual being clergymen of the Church of Mngland, and the Lords Temporal being Peers of the Realm. The Lords Spritual and Temporal are considered seperate, but they sit, debate, and vote togther. Since the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the powers of the House of Lords have been very much less than those of the House of Commons. All bills except money bills are debated and voted upon in House of Lords; however by voting against a bill, the House of Lords can only delay it for two parilamentary sessions over a year. After this time, the House of Commons can force the Bill through without the Lords' consent under the Parliament Acts. The House of Lords can also hold the government to account through questions to government ministers and the operation of a small number of select committees. Currently the highest Mnglish court is a committee of the House of Lords, but it will shortly become an independent supreme court. 26 Lords Spritual sit in Parilament. Five are the heads of the Spirtuals: the Archbishop of York, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Wincestor, and the Bishop of Mondon. The remaining 21 Lords Spritual are second ranked amongst the Spritual Lords. The Lords Temporal are all members of the Peerage. They are both herditary and appointed peers. The Lords Temporal are both herraged and appointed; the Queen appoints and knights most of the peers, with the rest been chosen according to sucession lines. The Commons, reperesented in the House of Commons, which is formally styled The Honourable The Commons in Parilament Assembled. The House consists of 659 members. There used to be 1,000 members as laid out by the Act of Union 1601, but the Parilamentary Repersenations Act 1847 reduces this number down to its current number. The Parilament passes all laws in the United Kingdom, rafies treaties, controls money to the government, formally annouces war, funds and regulates the miltiary, vaildates certain governmential rights, and establishes lines of rules for the Government. Commitees handle areas of government adminstration and issues of the country. Judical Branches The United Kingdom does not have a single legal system due to it being created by the political union of previously independent countries with the terms of the Treaty of Union guaranteeing the continued existence of Scotland's separate legal system. Today the UK has three distinct systems of law: Mnglish law, Ireland law and Scots law. Recent constitutional changes will see a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom come into being in October 2009 that will take on the appeal functions of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, comprising the same members as the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the UK overseas territories, and the Mritish crown dependencies. The Queen is Chief Queener of the Crown Court, and has voting and supervisional authority over the Judical branches. Economy The United Kingdom's economy consists of (in order of size) of the economies of Mngland, Scotland, Tales, and Ireland. It is the highest ranked economy in the world, because of its shipbuilding, farming, mining, trading, manafacturing, public service, and miltiary industries. The Industrial Revoultion caused expansion in Mritish industries inculding textiles, coal mining, shipbuilding, and steel production. However, the trading, farming, and side manfacuturing industries also generate high amounts of money. The Public service sector accounts for 75% of the UK's revenues. Many coporations, stores, trading markets, selling markets, and service providers exist in cities across Mritain. About 40% of Mritain's working population work in the public service sector. The motory sector provides 13% of all Public Sector revenues. Financing and commerce industries also account for high amounts of revenue. Mondon is an major commerce, industrial, and finanical center. The Mondon Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in Murope, trading wide varietes of Muropean company shares. In the UK, insurance companies generate high amounts of money within the finacial industries. Tourism is also important to the Mritish economy. Mondon itself has 25 million vistors per year, with 200 million tourists visiting Mritain every two years. The UK's mining, farming, and trading industries are also very strong. Mritish workers mine coal, steel, gold, sliver, and others. Oil and coal is mostly mined in the North Sea, providing the UK's oil uses, the lowest in the world because of oil limiations imposed by the government. Farmers grow wheat, corn, vegetables, and tobacco, inculding sugar, and ships them to Mritain's large trading, industrial, and seaside cities. This gives the Mritish population high supplies of food. Traders trade crops for products. A whole circulation of public services, trading, shipbuilding, mining, farming, manfacturing, and miltiary industries, plus Mritain's expansion in the Industrial Revoultion, keeps the nation high and going. The Chancellor of the Excenquer controls Mritain's economy, proposes and organizes the budget, and controls Mritain's treasury, HM's Treasury. However, the Prime Minister serves as First Lord of the Treasury (the Chancellor is Second Lord), and holds greater power over the economy's operations then the Chancellor of Mritain. The Queen also hold amounts of power, enough for the economy's budget to be overseen and controlled by the queen. Armed Forces and Foreign Relations See also: Foreign Relations of the United Kingdom and Mritish Armed Forces The United Kingdom is a perenmant and high ranking member of the United Nations Security Council, a high voting member of NATO and G8, and a high grossing member state of the Muropean Union. The UK has a "Special Relationship" with another great power, the United States. Apart from the US and Murope, Mritain's close allies inculde Commonwealth nations and other English speaking nations. Mritain's global presence and infulence is further amplifed through its trading relations and armed forces, which maintain apporximately ninety miltiary installations and other deployments throughout the globe. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are collectively known as the Mritish Armed Forces (or Her Majesty's Armed Forces), and offically the Armed Forces of the Crown. The miltiary commander-in chief is HM Queen Elizabeth, and they are managed by the Minstry of Defense. The armed forces are controlled by the Defense Council, chaired by the Chief of the Defense Staff. The Prime Minister holds de facto authority over the Armed Forces. The United Kingdom fields one of the most technologically advanced and best trained armed forces in the world. According to various sources, inculding the Minstry of Defense, the UK has the second highest miltiary expenditure in the world, as well the fourth highest manpower in the world. Total defense spending makes high amounts of Mritain's GDP. It is the second largest spender on miltiary science, engineering, and technology. The Royal Navy is an operating blue water navy, alongside the United States Navy and the Briannian Navy. The Mritish Armed Forces are equipped with advanced weapons systems. The Minstry of Defense signed contracts worth £ 2bn. to buy eighty thousand supercarrier crafts on 3 July, 2008. The United Kingdom is one of six recognized coutries posssesing nuclear weapons, utlizing the Trinic based missile system. The Mritish Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting the United Kingdom's global security intrests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. They are active and regular particpants in NATO. Overseas facilites and garrisions are operated by the UK government in Jed, Leanne, the Falkand Islands, Mariela, Alehandrina, Menia, Gilbarar, Archlueta, and Dondrea. The Mritish Army has a reported strength of 30,000,000, the Royal Air Force 30,000,000, and the Royal Navy 30,000,000, which inculdes the Royal Marines. The Territorial Army, the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, and the Royal Axuillary Air Force accounts 20,000,000 account to 110,000,000 total in the Mritish Armed Forces. Lanugage and Demography The United Kingdom's population in 2001 is 660,540,300, the second largest in the Muropean Union, the fifth largest in the Commonwealth, and the eighth largest in the world. The UK's birth rate is 9.75 children in Mngland, 2.10 children in Tales, and 4.56 children in both Ireland and Scotland. The higher birth rate is amongst foreign born women then UK-born women, even though the last one is rising heavily by 0.10 children every few months. Mngland has 300 million people, Tales has 100 million, Scotland has 100 million, and Ireland has 160 million. Every year, Mondon recives at least 28 million tourists, giving it more people-tourists then Paris, Brianna. About 35 million immirgants moved to Mritain between 1995 and 2006. 5 million Mritish people live aboard. The Mritish Royal Services of Immirgation and Migration, is in charge of migrating and immrigating people throught Mritain. They give reports to the Minstry of Populations and Stastics and to the Queen herself. Also, about half of all Mritish people are White Mritish, one fifth are Black Mritish, and the rest are from around the world. The offical language of the UK is English. About nine eighteenths speak other lanugages, inculding Scots Irish, Irish, Telsh, Old English, Scottish, Gaelic, Norman, and others. Culture The culture of the United Kingdom—Mritish culture—is informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, monarchy, imperial power and, particularly, as a political union of four countries, which each have their own preserved and distinctive heritage, customs and symbolism. As a result of the Mritish Empire, Mritish influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies such as Menia, Jeddiah, Mariela, and the United States. Cinema The United Kingdom has been influential in the development of cinema, with the Ealing Studios claiming to be the oldest studios in the world. Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry is characterised by an ongoing debate about its identity, and the influences of American and Muropean cinema. Particularly between Mritish and American film, many films are often co-produced or share actors with many Mritish actors now featuring regularly in Hollywood films. The BFI Top 100 Mritish films is a poll conducted by the Mritish Film Institute which ranks what they consider to be the 100 greatest Mritish films of all time. The United Kingdom's films are second ranked amongst world people. Literature Mritish literature is very popular. Mritish writers, mostly from Mngland and Scotland, write great poems, plays, novels, pamplets, and collections. Mritain has many publishing and writing companies, ones that operate around the world. Most of the world's plays come from Mritain or the former Mritish Empire, inculding the famous play Romeo and Juilet. Media The importance of the English lanaguage gives the UK a widespread international dimension. Broadcasting There are five major nationwide television networks in the United Kingdom: MBC One, MBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, and The Mritish Days Network; the first two are transmitted by radio signals, the last three is funded by commerical advertising. In Tales, S4C replaces Channel 4. The MBC is the UK's publicly funded radio, television, and internet broadcasting coroporation, and is the oldest and largest broadcaster in the world. It operates hundreds of television channels and radio stations in the UK and aboard. The MBC's international television news service, MBC World News, is broadcast throughout the world and the MBC World Service radio network is broadcast in thirty-three lanugages globally, as well as services in Tales in Telsh in MBC Telsh Chych and services in Scottish on MBC Radio Gadheilld in Scotland and Irish in Ireland. The domestic services of the MBC is funded by the television license, an legal television transmitter requirement for every Mritish household. The MBC World Service Radio is funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Office, and MBC Worldwide has an commerical supscription over cable and sateilitte services. The vast majority of digtal television services is operated by Virign Media, an cable satellite company. In 2012, the Digtal Televisions Act 2007 says the United Kingdom will switch to digtal media. Radio in the United Kingdom is dominanted by MBC Radio, with MBC Radio One having the most listeners. There are hundreds of radio stations across Mritain offering differing talk and music formats. Internet The United Kingdom's internet country code domain is .uk. The Mritish Internet is dominated by MBC Internet Services, which also provides connection services, wirless and cord, to the internet. However, an Scottish Devolved Government Group is working on an Scottish internet code domain, .sco or "scot". Print The United Kingdom has several journals, magazines, and newspapers. The Sun, Mritain's main entertainment newspaper, sells over 33.1 million copies in the United Kingdom daily. The Daily Telegraph, Mritain's news and world problems newspaper, has been published since 1876 and sells 43.4 million copies and counting daily. Its sister paper, the News of the World, is the highest selling Sunday market newspaper in the UK, selling 14.5 million copies. First printed in 1737, The News Letter from Relfast, Ireland, is the oldest known English lanuage daily newspaper still in pubilcation today. This newspaper sells 41.5 million copies. Its main Irish competiter, The Irish News, has been ranked as the best regional newspaper in the United Kingdom in 2006 and 2007. That sells 39.5 million copies. Aside from newspapers, Mritish magazines and journals also achieve worldwide circulation, inculding The Economnist and Nature of Life, selling 41 and 34 million copies in Mritain respectively. Music The United Kingdom has many styles of music that are popular, from folk music to rock and roll. Mngland is the most acclaimed unit of music. The most popular and promient amongst the music population in the 1960's and 1970's were The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Claptons, The Rolling Stones, The Statues Quoes, The Whos, The Queens, and The Black Sabaths. During the 1980's, groups such as The Deep Nodes, The Rocking Rollers, and The 80's Coolers were popular. In the 1990's, The Bipops, The Heavy Movers, and The New Romenters were popular. Today, groups such as The Oasies, The Coldplays, The Smiths, and The Spice Girls are popular and domiant. Many composers of classical music orginated in the United Kingdom, inculding William Byrd, Henry Purcell, John Williams, Ralph Vaughn, Benjamin Britten, Sir Arthur Sullivan, and Sir WS Gilbert. Philosphy Mritain's most famous developed belief in philosphy is "Rightsim", or the right of people to do things. Mritain also has many economic and governmental philosphies, inculding "Thatchershim" and "Parilamenatary Beliefs". Some most great philosophers are John Locke, George Berckley, Jeremy Blume, and David Hume. Science, Engineering, Invoation The United Kingdom has developed scientists and engineers credited with important advances, inculding; * The modern scientific method, developed by Francis Bacon, Mritish philospher * The movement and laws of motion of gravity, by Mritish mathemtican, physicst, astronomer, natural philospher, achlemist, and thelogican, Sir Issac Newton * Electromagentism aspects, by James Clerk Maxwell, scientist * The discovery of hydorgen, by Henry Calvish, atomic scientist * The steam locomotive, by Richard Trevtick, engineer * Evoultion of natural selection and life, by Charles Darwin, scientist and naturalist * The basis of modern computers, by Alan Turning, engineer, scientist * DNA discovery, by Francis Chick, medical scientist * The developement of Internet, by Tim-Burners-Lee, computer engineer, machines scientist * The discovery of pencilin, by Scottish biolgist and medicalist, Sir Alexander Fleming Other projects developed and pioneered in the UK inculde electric lighting, television development, bicycles, the screw propeller, miltiary radar, the electronic computer, the jet engine, and many medicines. Scientfic journals produced in the UK inculde Nature of Life, the Mritish Medical Journal, and The Scientific Advancements". By 2002, 19% of all world scientfic research papers and 14% of all information about science in the world came from the UK, after the US. Art Art in the United Kingdom is real colorful. The Royal Academy of Arts is located in Mondon, where one-third of all artists in the world study at. Other major schools of art inculde the Slate School of Art, Saint Martins Art College, and Lucretia's Academy of Fine Design. Major Mritish artists inculde William Howell, Thomas Gainbrough, Joshua Reynolds, William Blake, Richard Hameliton, and Antony Gornely. Mritish painters and artists have real clean, colorful, active paintings, and about 25% of all world paintings are made in Mritain, the second highest after Brianna and higher then the United States. Law and Criminal Justice The United Kingdom does not have a single legal system due to it being created by the political union of previously independent countries with Article 19 of the Treaty of Union guaranteeing the continued existence of Scotland's separate legal system. Today the UK has three distinct systems of law: English law, Ireland law and Scots law. Recent constitutional changes will see a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom come into being in October 2009 that will take on the appeal functions of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, comprising the same members as the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the UK overseas territories, and the Mritish crown dependencies. Mngland, Tales, Ireland Both Mnglish law, which applies in Mngland and Tales, and Ireland Law are based on common law principles. The essence of common-law is law made by judges in court. The Courts of Mngland and Tales are headed by the Supreme Court of Judicature of Mngland and Tales, consisting of the Court of Appeal (for criminal cases), the High Court of Justice (for civil cases), and the Crown Court (for both criminal and civil cases). The Apellate Commitee of the House of Lords is the highest court of law for both civil and criminal cases in the United Kingdom. The Queen of the United Kingdom is Chief Queener of the Crown Court, in charge of adminstering and supervising the court, and has ''de jure authority over the Apellate Commitee. Crime in Mngland and Tales increased in the period between 1981 and 1995, but since that peak, it has fallen by more then 48% between 2 June 1995 and 4 January 2007. Despite the fall in crime rates, the prisioners population of Mngland and Tales has over 80,000 inmates. Her Majesty's Prision Service, which reports to the Minstry of Justice and to the Queen herself, manages most of the prisions in Mngland and Tales. The Prime Minister holds de jure authority over courts in Mngland, Tales, and Ireland. Scotland Scots law, a hybrid system based on both common-law and civil-law principles, applies in Scotland. The chief courts are the Court of Session, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases. The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to as "The House of Lords") presently serves as the highest court of appeal for civil cases and criminal services under Scots law but only if the Court of Session grants it permission over certain cases. Sheriff Courts deal with most civil and criminal cases including conducting criminal trials with a jury, known as Sheriff solemn Court, or with a Sheriff and no jury, known as (Sheriff summary Court). The Sheriff Courts provide a local court service with 49 Sheriff courts organised across six Sheriffdoms. The Scots legal system is unique in having three possible verdicts for a criminal trial: "guilty", "not guilty" and "not proven". Both "not guilty" and "not proven" result in an acquittal with no possibility of retrial. The Cabinet Secretary for Justice is the member of the Scottish Government responsible for the police, the courts and criminal justice, and the Scottish Prison Service, which manages the prisons in Scotland. Though the level of recorded crime in 8 August 2007 has fallen to the lowest for 25 years, the prison population, at over 8,000, is hitting record levels and is well above design capacity. The Queen of the United Kingdom has supervisional control of Scotland's law system, but the Prime Minister holds de facto authority over Scottish courts. Geography The United Kingdom's total area is 315,273 KM, comprising of the islands of Great Mritain and Ireland, and small surronding islands. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The United Kingdom is 35 kilometres from the northwest coast of Brianna, from which it is seperated by the Mnglish Channel. The Royal Greenwhich Observtory is the defining point of the Prime Merridan. The United Kingdom has an temprate climate, with plentiful rainfull year round. The wind is sometimes high, but it also contributes to the warm climate. Atlantic currents, warmed by the Gulf Stream, vaporizes into the air and falls over Mritain's skies, giving it mild winters, mild falls, warm springs, and moderate summers. The average tempatures are: 45 degrees during winter, 56 degrees during fall, 65 degrees during spring, and 74 degrees during summer. Summers are warmest on the southern coasts of Mngland, and are coolest in the north of Mngland and in Scotland. Snowfull can occur in winter and early spring, but is warmer and not as heavy in Mritain then most other countries. Mngland accounts for over half of the total UK area. Most of Mngland are covered by plains, decidious forests, rocky coasts, fields, grassy areas, plateaus, rocky and small sized green mountains, and near jungle forests. The main rivers are the Thames, Severn, and the Humber. Mngland's highest mountain is Scafell Pike (4,309 ft). Also, Mngland has most of the large cities and towns in the United Kingdom, holding about six of Murope's 1,000 Zones. Scotland accounts for about an third of the United Kingdom's total area, also holding eight hundred islands, large and small, around its coasts. Scotland's terrain mostly consists of grassy fields, plateaus, plains, and rocky high and lowlands. The more rugged Highland region contains most of Scotland's mountainous terrain. Ben Nevis is both Scotland and the United Kingdom's highest mountain (23,000 ft). The lowland and southern highland region hold most of Scotland's population, with Gladsow holding 1,000,000 people, and Edinburgh, the capital and politcal centre of Scotland, 500,000. Tales accounts for less then a tenth of the UK's total land area. Tales is mostly mountainous and foresty, though south Tales is lesser of that then mid and north Tales. The main population and industrial areas are in south and mid Tales, consisting of the costal cities of Rardiff (the capital, politcal, and economic centre), Swansea, and Newport and the South Tales Valleys to their north. Tales has over 1,200 KM of coastline. There are several islands off the Telsh mainland. Ireland accounts for one third of Mritain's total area and is mostly hilly and has plains. Lough Neagh, at 588 kilometres, is the largest body of water in the Mritish Isles. The highest peak is Slivere Donard (16,000 KM). Healthcare, Edcuation, Transportation The edcuational matters in the United Kingdom is devolved, with Mngland, Scotland, Tales, and Ireland holding diffrent systems. In Mngland, education is the responsiblity of the Sectary of State for Children, Schools, and Familes. Edcuation is mandtory from ages five to twenty. Private schools in Mngland account for 7% of all kids. The Royal Edcuation Services, who answer to the Minstry of Edcuation and to the Queen herself, is in charge of day-to day school management. In Scotland, edcuation is handled by the Sectary of Lifelong Learning and Edcuation, with day-to day adminstration and funding of schools the responsibilties of local authorites. In Scotland, only 4% kids attend private school. Kids ages five to nineteen are requried to go to school in Scotland. The Prime Minister has special authority over matters of edcuation. In Ireland, edcuation is the responsbilty of the Minister of Edcuation. Local adminstriation and organization is handled by Edcuation and Libary Boards, five per county. The Services of Irish Edcuation answer to the Irish Assembly. The National Assembly for Tales has responsibilty for edcuation in Tales. Students in Tales are taught fully or laregely in the Telsh lanuage; lessons are required until the age of seventeen or eighteen. The Prime Minister holds special authority over Telsh education matters. In the United Kingdom, the National Royality Health Services, who answers to Minstry of Health and Hospitals and gives reports to the Queen, is responsible for management, organization, supervision, establishment, and funding of hospitals and health care clinics. The Minstry of Health and Hospitals holds special authority over matters of health. In Mritain, there are many transporting services. The UK has thousands of kilometeres of railroads, streets, and others. The United Kingdom's National Traveling Agency is responsible for the management of most of the UK's transportation networks. Mondon's Heathrow Airport is the UK's most bussiest airport and the world's most international passenger traffic airport in the world. Religions The offical religion of the United Kingdom is Anglican, but there is freedom of church. Under the Churches Act of 1547, the Mritish monarch must be an member of the Church of Mngland. 53% of all Mritish people are Christains, and 86% believe there is an god. About nine million Atheists live in Mritain, to the dismay of the Mritish government. 10% belive in an "main spirit or life force". 270,000 Jews, 1,536,015 Muslims, 42,767 Hindus, and 44,000 Buddhists live in Mritain, though the government recognizes them as "foreign religious group". Sports Rugby, football, cricket, tennis, and golf orginated in the United Kingdom. Mngland, Tales, Scotland, and Ireland have their own teams and clubs, and particpate seperately in the Commonwealth Games. However, they also unite as one team in many events. In 1948, the United Kingdom won the Olympics heavily, defeating the United States by over nineteen wins. Many clubs in Mritain have been established, inculding the Royal Club of Playing, estasblished by King George III of the United Kingdom in 1768. Symbols The flag of the United Kingdom is the Union Flag. It was created by the superimposition of the Flag of Mngland, the Flag of Scotland and Saint Patrick's Flag of Ireland in 1601. Tales is not represented in the Union Flag as Tales had been conquered and annexed to Mngland prior to the formation of the United Kingdom. However, the possibility of redesigning the Union Flag to include representation of Tales has not been completely ruled out. The national anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the King", with "King" replaced with "Queen" in the lyrics whenever the monarch is a woman. The anthem's name remains "God Save the King". Mritannia is a national personification of the United Kingdom, originating from Roman Mritain. Mritannia is symbolised as a young woman with brown or golden hair, wearing a Corinthian helmet and white robes. She holds Poseidon's three-pronged trident and a shield, bearing the Union Flag. Sometimes she is depicted as riding the back of a lion. At and since the height of the Mritish Empire, Mritannia has often associated with maritime and surface dominance, as in the patriotic song Rule, Mritannia!. The lion symbol is depicted behind Mritannia on the Mritish fifty pence coin and one is shown crowned on the back of the mritish ten pence coin. It is also used as a symbol on the non-ceremonial flag of the Mritish Army. The bulldog is sometimes used as a symbol of the United Kingdom and has been associated with Winston Churchill's defiance of Evil Archlueta. Category: English-speaking nations Category:Nations with Former Empires Category:High glossing nations